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Make School Different


Credit Scott McLeod for, once again, pushing our thinking and promoting positive change with school and education. His current endeavor challenges educators to identify five ways schools should be different, and label these recommendations with the #makeschooldifferent hashtag. The second part of this challenge is to tag five people who you would like to see engaged in this conversation.

Part One - Five things we need to stop pretending in school 

  1. Schools are the epicenter of all learning.
  2. Classroom teachers are the primary gatekeepers of knowledge and information.
  3. Testing is worthwhile use of class time.
  4. Letter grades provide valuable learning feedback to students.
  5. Classrooms with closed doors, rows of desks, and a podium, are student-centered.

Part Two - Five educators who I'm inviting to engage in this dialogue 


  1. Alfie Kohn - @alfiekohn
  2. Brad Gustafson - @gustafsonbrad
  3. Will Richardson - @willrich45
  4. Tom Whitby - @tomwhitby
  5. Alan November - @globalearner


There are countless other respected educators who deserve mention, but some have been previously tagged while others will certainly make it on to someone else's list. These are five thought-change leaders who stretch my thinking, and add to my widening perspective regarding the role of school in education and learning. Please extend this conversation by sharing your 5 + 5 using the #makeschooldifferent hashtag.

photo credit: Interior of classroom, Indian Industrial School, Brandon, Manitoba, 1946 / Intérieur d’une salle de classe, École industrielle indienne, Brandon (Manitoba), 1946 via photopin (license)
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Location: Libertyville, IL, USA

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